Netflix Releases First Season Of Occult Series 'The Order'

The series features a young and upcoming cast. It also stars 'Freddy vs Jason' actor, Katherine Isabelle!

By Tarun Kapoor

March 9, 2019

Posted March 9, 2019

Netflix is known for its amazingly gripping original shows. The online streaming site dropped a new series called The Order earlier this week and the cast is filled with upcoming actors. It features a cast that includes Freddy vs. Jason and Ginger Snaps favourite Katharine Isabelle, as well as Jake Manley (Heroes: Reborn), Sarah Grey(Legends of Tomorrow), Matt Frewer (Altered Carbon, Watchmen, Orphan Black), Sam Trammell (True Blood), and Max Martini (Training Day, Revenge). The series takes a couple of episodes to really take off but when it does, it sure does. Hey, even Game of Thrones needed a couple of episodes to really create an impact, so you never know what the show has in store for us. The series dropped the entire first season earlier this week, which means that it is time for a new weekend binge. The advantage here is that people will not judge just the pilot and give the show more time to impress them.

The new show has a somewhat similar theme to The Vampire Diaries or The Magicians as it is yet another supernatural show that revolves around fighting werewolves and other magical creatures. However, the twist is that the witches vs werewolves premise do not show up until the third episode. The Netflix synopsis of the show reads, As Jack goes deeper, he uncovers dark family secrets and an underground battle between werewolves and the magical dark arts. The IMDB synopsis of the show reads Out to avenge his mother's death, a college student pledges a secret order and lands in a war between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic.

The first episode of the show revolves around college campus drama. However, the central conflict is wholly unique and filled with plenty of humor and well-written dialogue. The show does not really spoonfeed the audience with details right away. For example, Jack Morton and his grandfather clearly have some secret plan or some sort of ulterior motive for getting him into Belgrave University as a freshman. This, the audience has to try and figure out the reason while the details unfold slowly. It is very gripping in a way as these reasons are revealed slowly but show a sudden jump from simple to complex ones.

On the other hand, the way he is admitted into the University and his run-ins with all the jerks and the frat boys in the very beginning seems to be a little rushed. It looks like they were in a hurry to establish the atmosphere of the campus. Even the chemistry between Jake and his college tour guide Alyssa Drake feels as though it all happened too fast. The show leaves it at just that though, the great bond between the two but is in no rush to bring them together just yet. It just shows a level of respect that is built between them. It doesn't try adding a new layer to the storyline just yet, so that's good.

The Order pokes fun at ritualistic fraternity initiations immediately before bringing us into the pledge process for the titular Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, which is the presentation of a magically appearing blue rose to the potential 'neophytes'. There is a use of robes and masks by the secret society, not just by the students but the older generations as well. However, it doesn't look tacky or overdone. It’s just Hogwarts or Brakebills with a dash of alumni politics, and it works. The introduction of magic and the real storyline only takes place in the third episode, until then the foundation for the show is being set up.

Now, the question is, how many viewers who tune in to see something magical and cool will wait for two whole episodes. People will initially feel like the central conflict of the first two episodes, where people are being killed by werewolves is the conflict of the show. It isn't really like that but we will only know about it in the third episode. The episodes also suggest that there is animosity present between the werewolves and the witches which again, is not entirely true of the show. Jake is given a mission by his grandfather, which is what the season basically revolves around, the first couple of episodes make it a lot more than just that.

Even though there are many weak links in the first couple of episodes like the rushed setting and friendships Jake makes, the sometimes weak or unnecessary humor which comes from the Neophytes playing with magic that they do not understand, and other issues that Jake's friends have in their personal lives can be overlooked. I do suggest that you give the show time to grow on you and let it show you what it really is about. It is filled with very diverse and engaging characters and several compelling paths set before the main cast. It is filled with surprises and has the potential for a lot more twists and turns along the way.